Three South African men caught with 600 kg of cocaine worth US$27 million on the country’s leading highway to Cape Town have appeared in Athlone Magistrate Court to answer charges of dangerous drug possession, APA learnt on Tuesday.
The country’s top cops — Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) together with counterparts from the Crime Intelligence and Western Cape Traffic — arrested the trio while travelling on the N1 highway towards Cape Town, Police Ministry spokesperson Lirandzu Themba said.
The consignment was in a truck that was intercepted and the large quantities of the drugs were found concealed in false wooden boards stacked at the back of the truck, Themba said.
Police Minister Cele, together with Provincial Commissioner Thembisile Patekile, on Monday attended the first court appearance of the three men who are aged between 39 and 47 years old at the Athlone Magistrate Court in Cape Town.
The drug bust meant that more crimes associated with drugs were prevented, Cele said.
“Police are often accused of being reactive. Clearly, this is a demonstration that police are tightening crime prevention and are being proactive,” he said.
NM/as/APA